How badly has Botswana been affected?
The first case of HIV / AIDS reported in Botswana was in 1985.
Just 18 years later in 2003, it is estimated that 110,000 children had lost one or both parents. Whilst AIDS is one of the main factors, other factors (including road accidents) must not be ignored.
8% of the entire population in the North East of Botswana have lost both parents and are aged 18 or below.
It is projected that by 2010 more than 20% of all Botswana’s children will have lost one or both parents.
That’s a staggering amount of children that often have to fend for themselves or their siblings and are consequently being deprived of their childhood.
Many of these children will have witnessed their parents / siblings die of AIDS. It is important to appreciate that dying of AIDS is horrible, very slow and very painful.
Stigma & Discrimination make it a lonely way to die and an equally lonely way to watch someone die.
Botswana HIV-AIDS related statistics